Akron Biotech, Octapharma enter Human AB Serum global production deal

Akron Biotech has signed an exclusive global agreement with Switzerland-based Octapharma to produce virally inactivated Human AB Serum for the cell therapy market using the latter’s Octaplas.

Human AB Serum converted from plasma is a vital media supplement used in cell therapy manufacturing.

The company noted that a virally inactivated, licensed pharmaceutical grade plasma product such as Octaplas can be used for research and development needs, as well as for commercialisation.

According to the deal, Akron Biotech will manufacture Human AB Serum converted from Octaplas, a pooled, solvent-detergent treated human plasma product.

Furthermore, the products will be co-labelled and made available in the US, EU and Asia.

Akron Biotech president and chief commercial officer David Smith said: “After years of working with Octapharma, we are taking our relationship to the next level to create a powerful resource for the cell therapy market.

“The products that result from Octapharma’s plasma technologies and Akron Biotech’s manufacturing and commercialisation will enable the global industry to move forward with greater confidence and safety.”

The Octaplas viral inactivation and production process has many independent, complementary and validated stages to remove or reduce non-enveloped and enveloped viruses like the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Viral inactivation of Human AB Serum could significantly lower the risk of one of the more complex ancillary materials common in cell therapy manufacturing.

Octapharma USA president and Octapharma Group Board Member Flemming Nielsen said: “Octapharma is proud to support the growing cell and gene therapy market with Octaplas converted materials.”

Octaplas is produced with batch to batch consistency of plasma proteins and has the additional advantage of being virally inactivated with FDA approval for intravenous infusion.